tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8415492346905673232.post8832286568421479183..comments2019-09-10T20:09:45.724+01:00Comments on Rockley Farm: Step AWAY from the celery...Nic Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06885459438592023135noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8415492346905673232.post-26714348325415045312014-06-21T08:22:55.311+01:002014-06-21T08:22:55.311+01:00Well, first off DD don&#39;t panic :-) If its any ...Well, first off DD don&#39;t panic :-) If its any consolation we have huge problems with those very same mineral levels in the UK so you aren&#39;t alone. <br /><br />Sounds like you are doing a fab job with what you have so give yourself a break! There is no reason for you to feed haylage if you can make decent hay - we can&#39;t, which is a whole other story.<br /><br />The one comment I would make is that EK&#39;s recommendations are (I&#39;ve found) too low in magnesium so I would in your position be feeding high levels of that as it has a big effect on hooves. Its safe to feed as excess is easily excreted so better to feed too much than too little. I&#39;d be feeding at least 25g Mg per day - if you feed MgO then thats around 50-60g. Nic Barkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06885459438592023135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8415492346905673232.post-87244805086572006442014-06-19T17:48:46.636+01:002014-06-19T17:48:46.636+01:00I&#39;m not sure what else there is to do regardin...I&#39;m not sure what else there is to do regarding nutrition. I have had both the hay and pasture tested and created a balanced diet according to Dr. Eleanor Kellon&#39;s recommendations. The horses are on a track system and fed grass hay out of small-mesh hay nets. Feeding baleage (or haylage as you may call it?) is not feasible when feeding a very small herd and with no large equipment to handle the bales. It is far too high in protein for the donkeys as well. <br /><br />I have certainly seen improvement in hoof quality since balancing the minerals over a year ago, but not as dramatic an improvement as I would have liked. There are some severe mineral imbalances in the soil here with very low pH and astronomically high manganese and iron combined with very low copper and zinc. I have had lime spread on the fields for the past three years, but correcting this soil is a very slow long term process that is likely to take at least 10 years to see real results.<br /><br />The hoof problems I am seeing are epidemic in this area. I see similar problems in the few dairy herds that are left as well so it isn&#39;t just the horses. I have had horses for over 30 years and never had hoof problems until I moved to this farm 4 years ago. I agree that nutrition is likely the biggest problem, but short of selling out and moving again, I am not sure what else to do.<br /><br />I think you are right on all fronts, but I am profoundly frustrated. I just don&#39;t see any way out of this hole.The Dancing Donkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16274299120708749101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8415492346905673232.post-75860938611945389842014-06-18T12:54:26.664+01:002014-06-18T12:54:26.664+01:00DD, I will post about this in some detail in a fut...DD, I will post about this in some detail in a future blog - probably over the next few days - but in the meantime this in your post jumps out:<br /><br />&quot;I try very hard to make sure that the horse is at least as sound after the trim as before if not more so. However, these horses still can&#39;t ride out without hoof boots and they are ouchy on stones.&quot;<br /><br />That to me is all about nutrition and nothing to do with the trim. I don&#39;t doubt you are doing your best but a trim won&#39;t give you rock-crunching feet - as you&#39;ve found - whereas fantastic diet will. <br /><br />Work helps but nutrition has to come first or horses just aren&#39;t comfortable.<br /><br />Get that right and you will most likely find that even the modest amount of work your horses do can allow them to self-trim.<br /> Nic Barkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06885459438592023135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8415492346905673232.post-71886983471192116662014-06-17T16:26:27.346+01:002014-06-17T16:26:27.346+01:00Question....I&#39;ve been following your blog for ...Question....I&#39;ve been following your blog for quite a while and have read your book. I totally agree with your post and the results you get speak for themselves. BUT, what is an owner to do if the horse does not self trim?<br /><br />For example, my own farm: my horse and two donkeys are on a track system, eating low-sugar native-grass hay and a tightly balanced mineral supplement created specifically to balance my feed. The soil here is clay and rock. It is VERY soft except for the times when it is frozen solid or dry enough to be like concrete. It goes from super soft to super hard and back again in a matter of days depending on weather. The horse&#39;s feet have a very hard time dealing with this. While I have attempted to build solid footing on my track, it is in such small areas that it is of limited use. Doing more in any meaningful way is cost prohibitive (my driveway, which is 10 feet wide and 300 feet long of gravel &quot;track&quot; cost $10,000 to build). The other thing they are lacking is work. I do the best I can, but they are never going to get the mileage they really should. Barring a miracle, that will never happen no matter how good my intentions. I am well aware that this is a very critical missing link, but it is not one I can do much about either.<br /><br />My mare is 6 years old and has never worn shoes yet we struggle with underrun heels, long toes and thin soles. If allowed to &quot;self-trim&quot;, they just grow longer and longer until they interfere with normal motion and she becomes sore. The donkey feet, which are meant for desert terrain, will not self trim at all on this soil and, if left to themselves, will turn into &quot;elf slippers&quot; and cripple them. <br /><br />I am fairly typical of the horse owners in this area. We aren&#39;t dressage riders or hunters. We trail ride once or twice a week as our work schedules and circumstances allow. We care about our animals and want to do right by them. I trim their feet and try hard to do it the way the horse wants. I try very hard to make sure that the horse is at least as sound after the trim as before if not more so. However, these horses still can&#39;t ride out without hoof boots and they are ouchy on stones.<br /><br />I get that trimming is not the best alternative, but what else am I to do? A couple of the animals I am working on would have been euthanized without the work I have done on them. I took up trimming out of sheer desperation and the horses I am working on are all better off now then when I started, but they never develop truly tough feet. <br /><br />I would greatly welcome any input you can offer. The Dancing Donkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16274299120708749101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8415492346905673232.post-47125043541741789392011-05-05T17:25:37.769+01:002011-05-05T17:25:37.769+01:00Thanks Amanda, and Jen - I had lots of fun writing...Thanks Amanda, and Jen - I had lots of fun writing this one though it raised my blood pressure too ;-)<br /><br />Emily - that sounds like it would be fun, problem is holidays don&#39;t really feature in my schedule at the moment! LOL<br /><br />A book on rehab would be fun too, but its finding the time - if you have a look here you&#39;ll find quite a bit on rehab though: http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/p/hoof-information.htmlNic Barkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06885459438592023135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8415492346905673232.post-56584276055772480102011-05-05T16:34:55.294+01:002011-05-05T16:34:55.294+01:00Nic, you mention improving the biomechanics and st...Nic, you mention improving the biomechanics and strengthening weak structures. Do you have any posts, or could you write one on ways to do this? I&#39;d be all in favour of another book describing how you actually rehabilitate the horses at Rockley as its something I&#39;m dreaming about starting here in California. The standard of farriery here is atrocious - 7 weeks training and even that&#39;s not mandatory to call yourself a farrier. <br /><br />Failing that, why don&#39;t you come on holiday here and teach me in person ;0)Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16403166629584440452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8415492346905673232.post-40066869633489992462011-05-05T12:50:19.628+01:002011-05-05T12:50:19.628+01:00YES! YES! AMEN SISTER!!!
Also, your signs made m...YES! YES! AMEN SISTER!!! <br /><br />Also, your signs made me laugh out loud! Especially the DANGER KEEP HANDS AWAY sign. Teehee!jenjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01737679332792618499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8415492346905673232.post-3630858155893155192011-05-05T09:33:03.117+01:002011-05-05T09:33:03.117+01:00Fantastic post Nic. The emphasis of getting diet a...Fantastic post Nic. The emphasis of getting diet and environment etc. right puts the responsibility squarly back with the owner where imo it should be.<br />It seems many still think a Farrier or Trimmer can &#39;fix&#39; their horse by a shoe or a trim.amandaphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03645616368761221877noreply@blogger.com